


Good Enough

by teej_318



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Gay Mike Wheeler, Gay Will Byers, M/M, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Mike pines after Will, Pining, Prom, Unrequited Love, Will Byers Loves Mike Wheeler, Will is in a relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-30
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-12-27 01:06:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18293738
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teej_318/pseuds/teej_318
Summary: Ever since Will Byers came out to him, Mike Wheeler has been pining after his best friend. But, Mike won't let his feelings be known to anyone, least of all to Will. Things come to a head when Will gets a boyfriend and takes him to prom.





	1. He Always Knew

Mike knew. He wasn’t sure how long he knew, but he figured it had happened over time and not all at once. 

The first time he can remember knowing it was the day Will came out to him. 

They were alone in Mike’s basement after a successful DND game. Will was staying the night, but it was too early for them to go asleep, especially for a Saturday night. The boys were cleaning up the table when Will told him.

“Hey Mike?” said Will, sounding nervous.

“Yeah Will?”

Will took several deep breaths, as if he were searching for the right words to say. Mike looked at him with concern.

“Is something wrong?” Mike asked. 

“Um…this is really hard for me to say, but I need to tell someone and you’re my best friend.”

“Always and forever, Will, no matter what. You know that, right?”

Will chuckled slightly. “Yeah, I know that. I’m just scared.”

“Hey,” Mike said, walking over to Will and putting a hand on his best friend’s shoulder. “You don’t ever have to worry about telling me anything, Will. No matter what, I’m gonna have your back. I promise.”

Will took a deep breath before he spoke again. It looked to Mike as if his words were letting some of the tension Will felt start to fade. After taking several deep breaths to calm himself, Will spoke again.

“I’m…I’m gay, Mike,” Will said in a tone barely louder than a whisper. 

“Oh,” Mike replied just as quietly.

“Please don’t hate me,” said Will as tears started to form on his face. “I’m still me, Mike. This is just part of who I am.”

“Of course you’re still you, Will,” Mike said, gesturing for Will to sit down on the couch. Will obeyed him silently and sat down, his eyes staring at the floor. “And I could never hate you, Will. Never.”

Will looked up at Mike, the tears falling down his face freely, but he looked relieved.

“Thank you,” Will muttered.

“Come here,” Mike instructed, opening his arms. Will fell into his embrace, wrapping his arms around Mike. Will let out several breaths of relief, feeling safe in Mike’s arms. “This is just who you are, Will, there’s nothing for you to be ashamed of. I’m proud of you for being honest with me and I’m happy for you, Will. And I promise you, this changes nothing. We’re still best friends and we’ll always be there for each other.”

“Oh Mike, I’m so lucky to have you,” Will whispered into Mike’s shoulder. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“Well you don’t have to worry about that, Will,” Mike said, giving Will a bit of a squeeze in their embrace to reassure him. “I promise you that I will make sure nobody hurts you for who you are. I will support you every step of the way. I know there are parts of this you’ll have to go through on your own and I hate that, Will. But I will always be there for you, I promise you.”

_And I’ll always love you._

__

Mike blinked as that thought raced through his mind. Suddenly his mind was filled with a million thoughts at once and he struggled to shrug them away and focus on Will. It was Will who needed him the most; he couldn’t focus on what he wanted right now. He had no idea where that thought came from, but in his heart, he knew it was true. But now wasn’t the time to dwell on that, even though he couldn’t help himself.

_I’ll always love you, Will._

__

 

\--

He knew it when Will told him about Brandon.

This time they were at Will’s house, sitting on Will’s bed, planning out the next DND campaign. Will was busying sketching out the characters while Mike was putting the final touches on the story. When Will was done, he tapped Mike on the shoulder and handed him the sketch.

“This looks amazing, Will,” he said happily, giving Will a big smile. Will’s face lit up as it did every time Mike paid his work a compliment. Mike quickly looked away from Will, hoping that he wouldn’t start blushing because of Will’s reaction. 

“Thanks, Mike,” Will said as he set the drawing with the rest of his sketches for the campaign in Mike’s binder. “Um…”

“Yeah?” said Mike, trying to sound slightly absent-minded and not at all like he was focused on Will instead of the campaign.

“Would…would you mind if I brought a friend with me to the campaign next week?”

“A friend?” Mike asked nonchalantly. 

“Well he may me something more than that,” Will said hesitantly. 

_Please don’t think what I think you’re going to._

__

“You mean, like a boyfriend?” Mike asked, trying to keep his tone as neutral as possible.

Will blushed and didn’t answer right away. But Mike saw something pass over Will’s face and he knew the answer to the question before Will spoke. 

_Oh god. Now I know Will could never love me back. If he already has a boyfriend, it’s too late for me. Oh my god._

__

“Yeah, I think he is,” said Will shyly. “I mean we’ve gone on a couple of dates already and it feels like it’s getting serious.” 

_Who the fuck is he? I don’t even know him but I already don’t like him. Who does he think he is, coming into Will’s life and stealing him away?_

__

_Wait, wait, wait. This isn’t about me. This is about Will. And I did promise him I would be with him every step of the way. So for now, I gotta at least show that I’m happy for him._

__

“Mike?” Will asked, sounding concerned. Mike had gotten lost in his thoughts and hadn’t said anything, leaving Will in silence. 

“Sorry,” Mike said, distracted. “I’m happy for you, Will. And of course he can join us for this next campaign. I’d love to meet him.”

Will smiled. He looked the exact same way he did when he came out to Mike and Mike told him that nothing would change. It made Mike feel sad, but he knew that it was not about him in this moment. He had to put aside his feelings and be there for Will. 

“Oh, thank you, Mike!” Will exclaimed. “He’s a good guy; I know you’re gonna love him!”

_I can’t love him because my heart belongs to you._

__

 

\--

He certainly knew when he and Will went to the mall to go prom clothes shopping together.

Mike had no idea why Will asked him to go along; he thought it would make more sense for Brandon to go with Will.

_Stupid Brandon and his good looks. Why the hell isn’t he here staring at Will? Why do I have to be here?_

__

Mike took a deep breath as these thoughts coursed through his mind.

_It’s not about you. It’s about Will._

__

_Yeah, but how long can I keep this up? At some point, I’m going to have to tell Will._

__

_But it will destroy him. It’ll fuck up his relationship with Brandon and it will certainly ruin our friendship. I can’t tell him. I just have to suck it up and go with the flow._

__

“Earth to Mike,” Will’s voice came from a distance. Mike shook himself out of his thoughts and looked over at Will.

“Sorry,” he said. “What did you ask?”

“I asked what you thought of this color,” Will said, holding up a navy blue tie and vest. 

Mike looked up and saw Will holding the vest and tie up to his chest, staring at Mike in earnest, desperate for Mike’s approval.

_Why do you care what I think? Why does my opinion matter?_

__

_Because I’m his best friend and I promised him I would be with him every step of the way, no matter what._

__

_I think you would look amazing in that color. But I can’t tell you that out loud or I’ll ruin everything._

__

Mike smiled at Will, brushing aside his private thoughts as best as he could, and nodded.

“I think that’s a great color,” he said. 

Will’s face lit up.

_Damn it, Will, do you have to do that every time I pay you a compliment?_

__

“Really? You think so?”

_Hell fucking yes, I think so._

__

Mike nodded. “It’ll look great on you.”

Will smiled and hurriedly put the vest and tie into the cart he was pushing. He continued browsing through the other colors.  
“Will? Aren’t we done?” Mike asked, confused.

“We still gotta find a color for you!” Will exclaimed, as if it were the most obvious thing on the planet. 

Mike froze.

_Why does he want to help find me something to wear? Fuck, fuck, fuck. Please god tell me my face isn’t turning red right now. Fuck!_

__

“Mike?” Will said again, looking at Mike with concern.

“A color for me?” Mike asked, ignoring the silence of the previous several seconds. “Why does it matter what I wear? I’m not going with anyone and I don’t want to put in much effort into this.”

“Oh come on, Mike, it’s our junior prom, of course we’re gonna put some effort into this!”

_Why should I put effort into a night that’s going to make me miserable?_

__

“Will…” Mike started to say, but Will shook his head and cut him off.

“No, we’re gonna do something special for you and that’s the last I’ll hear of it!”

“I’m serious, Will,” Mike said in a low voice. “We don’t have to do anything special for me. I can just wear any old suit. It’s not like I’m going to be dancing or anything.”

“Oh, nonsense,” Will said, waving his hand impatiently. “This is our junior prom and you’re my best friend. This is a special night for us and I want you to look your best, even if you’re going alone! We have to at least make sure you have something nice to wear for all of the pictures Jonathan is gonna take!” 

_Oh Jesus, that’s just what I need: a tangible reminder of a night that could well destroy me._

__

Mike sighed deeply, knowing there was no way he was going to win this debate.

“All right, fine,” he said.

“Look, here’s a color that will be perfect!” Will exclaimed, pulling a forest green vest and tie down from the rack and holding it up for Mike to see. Will beamed at Mike, who stared back at his best friend.

_God I wish I could be making you happy like that for real._

__

__

“If you say so,” Mike said, sounding unsure. 

“Oh come on, Mike, you’re gonna look great in this! Green has always been a great color on you!”

At that, Will shoved the green tie and vest into Mike’s hands. Mike stared down at the tie and vest, wrestling with himself.

_Well, if it will make Will happy…_

__

__

“All right,” Mike said, giving Will a smile. “I’ll wear it, but only for you. If I had things my way, I’d just wear a normal suit. Hell, I probably wouldn’t even go to prom if it were truly up to me.”

“Well, it’s a good thing it’s not up to you,” Will said happily, snatching the tie and vest from Mike and setting them into the cart with his own set. The rest of their outfits filled the rest of the cart. “Now, come on, that’s everything!”

Mike followed Will over to the cash registers, where there was a line that stretched several people deep. Will glanced around for another open register, but there were no more open. Resigned to waiting in line, he brought the cart to a stop and leaned on it for a few seconds before he turned to Mike.

“When are we gonna get you a girlfriend?” he asked.

Mike froze again.

_What the hell kind of question is that? Does that mean he feels the same way about me?_

__

__

_Of course he doesn’t otherwise he wouldn’t be with Brandon, he’d be with me._

__

__

_Fuck, but why does he want to know when I’m gonna get a girlfriend?_

__

__

“Uh…probably never,” Mike answered. 

Will was certainly not expecting that response. He looked at Mike with deep concern in his eyes, almost looking sad. 

_Oh, Will. Please don’t look at me like that. There’s no reason to pity me._

__

__

“What are you talking about?” asked Will, his voice full of worry.

Mike shrugged. “Just that I’m probably never going to have a girlfriend.”

“Well, why on earth would you think that, Mike? You and El were pretty good together. I know it was more of a middle school fling than anything else, but you were still good in that relationship.”

Mike smiled sadly.

“I just don’t believe in love, at least not for me,” he said quietly. Will’s eyes widened in shock at this revelation. Mike almost had to bite his lip to stop himself from telling Will not to feel sorry for him. Instead, he said, “I believe in love for other people, but not for me.”

“How could you say that, Mike?”

_Because the only person I’ve ever loved will never love me back._

__

__

Mike sighed again. “I guess because I’ve never felt deserving of love. Even when El and I were together, I never felt like I deserved her. I think that’s part of the reason it never worked out, even though we’re still friends. I’ve never felt like I deserve to be loved, even if I do feel that way about someone.”

_Even if I do feel that way about you, Will._

__

__

“Oh, Mike,” Will said softly, reaching over and placing his hand gently on Mike’s shoulder. “Of course you deserve to be loved. You’re wonderful, Mike. You’re kind, you’re funny, you’re smart, you’re always looking out for everyone else. Anybody would be lucky to love you, Mike.”

Mike shook his head slowly as he stared back at Will.

“Saying that doesn’t make it true, Will,” he whispered. 

“Mike, one day you’ll see that you deserve someone who loves you. I know that in my heart. You’ll find someone who will love you and you’ll be happy when you open your heart to someone.”

_But I already do love someone and there’s no way they’ll love me back._

__

__

Mike looked deeply into Will’s eyes. Those soft, warm, brown eyes. They were full of platonic love, Mike could see that, but he knew they would never be filled with the same love Mike felt.

“If you say so, Will,” he said quietly.

 

\--

He sure as hell knew on Prom Night, the night when everything fell apart. 

The night was going OK so far. Mike had tried to stay out of everyone’s way when they were taking pictures, but Will and Dustin kept pulling him into the group. He felt awkward standing there by himself, even though El was by herself, too. She just knew how to not be alone, even if she was. Mike, meanwhile, felt like he was invading everyone’s space, especially Will’s. When he tried to point this out, Will shut him down.

“Mike, you’re not stepping on anyone’s toes by being here, now would you relax?” Will demanded.

“All right, all right.”

For the rest of the night, Mike kept mostly to himself. Although he was happy to dance with his friends as a group, he didn’t want to get in their way during the slow songs. Every time a slow song came on, he sat at their table by himself, watching everyone but Will and Brandon dance, not wanting to feel sorry for himself on this night. 

Mike tried his best to be happy for Will, but a part of him couldn’t help but feel pain. His heart was hurting, but he couldn’t show it. Every time Will came up to him, he smiled and assured his best friend that he was having a good time. 

But then, the DJ running the music announced that it was time for another slow song. And this time, it was one Mike knew well. 

The song began with a piano melody that lasted for a little more than a minute. As soon as he heard the first notes, Mike started to panic. He had listened to this song many times over the years, especially ever since he realized how he felt for Will. 

Despite not wanting to cause himself any pain on this night, for Will’s sake as much as his, his eyes immediately wandered over to Will and Brandon, who held each other close as they danced to the music.

_Under your spell again_  
_I can’t say no to you._  
_Crave my heart and it’s bleeding in your hand  
_I can’t say no to you.__

_____ _

_____ _

_Shouldn’t let you torture me so sweetly_  
_Now I can’t let of this dream_  
_I can’t breathe but I feel_  
_Good enough  
_I feel good enough for you__

_____ _

_____ _

_Drink up sweet decadence_  
_I can’t say no to you._  
_And I’ve completely lost myself and I don’t mind  
_I can’t say no to you.__

_____ _

_____ _

_Shouldn’t let you conquer me completely_  
_Now I can’t let go of this dream, can’t believe that I feel good enough_  
_I feel good enough.  
_It’s been such a long time coming, but I feel good.__

_____ _

_____ _

_And I’m still waiting for the rain to fall_  
_Pour real life down on me_  
_Cause I can’t hold on  
_To anything this good enough__

_____ _

_____ _

_Am I good enough for you to love me too?_

__

__

_So take care of what you ask of me  
_Cause I can’t say no.__

____

____

As the music faded, Mike felt his chest tighten. He couldn’t breathe, no matter how hard he tried. He started to panic, not knowing what to do. Mike glanced over at his friends and saw Dustin and El starting to approach the table with Dustin’s date, Elizabeth. Not wanting his friends to find him in this state, especially in the middle of prom, Mike hurriedly stood up from the table and walked away as quickly as his legs would carry him.

“Hey Mike, what’s up?” Dustin asked cheerfully as Mike hurried past him.

“Bathroom,” Mike grunted back, not looking at Dustin.

He ran across the room, but not before he stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Will and Brandon walking toward him.

“Hi Mike!” Will said brightly.

Mike’s voice was caught in his throat. He couldn’t say anything. He looked from Will to Brandon, trying to find something to say, but his mind was going about a million miles per hour. His eyes darted down and could see that Will and Brandon were holding hands. 

There were several seconds of Mike staring at Will and Brandon with a blank expression on his face before Will spoke again, only this time, he sounded worried.

“Are you OK, Mike?” 

Finally, Mike snapped out of his trance. He was suddenly aware of everything surrounding him and the knot he felt in his throat, threatening to rip out of him, forcing Mike to scream.

“I’m OK,” Mike said shortly, trying not to let the tears come falling down his face. “Bathroom.”

Mike hurried away from Will and Brandon, not turning around even as he heard Will call after him. He ran out of the room and searched around, desperate to find a bathroom so he could be alone. He wasn’t ready to leave yet, but he didn’t want to be around anyone, particularly Will and Brandon. Finally, he saw a bathroom sign and dashed inside. He glanced around and saw that he was alone. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the bright lights of the bathroom, but he didn’t care.

Mike ran over to one of the sinks and turned on the water. He let it pour down the drain for several seconds as he looked up in the mirror at himself. He took several deep breaths, trying to stop himself from breaking down altogether until it became too much. Mike reached down into the water and splashed some onto his face.

When his face was soaked, Mike stopped, holding onto the sink for balance. He started sobbing, all of his emotions pouring out of him. The tears streamed down his face and he had to slow his breathing so he wouldn’t pass out. He had finally stopped crying when he heard the voice behind him.

“Mike?”

Mike froze once again. He kept his eyes shut, not daring to believe that Will had seen him fall apart like this. He took several deep breaths to calm himself down before he opened his eyes again. Mike didn’t turn around, but he could see Will standing in the doorway in the mirror, his jacket missing. Slowly, Mike turned around to face Will.

Will’s eyes widened when he saw Mike’s face. He had heard Mike crying, but he didn’t know how bad Mike’s condition was until his saw his face. Mike’s eyes were red, tears covered his face and it looked like his legs were shaking.

“Mike!” Will exclaimed. “What is it? Are you OK?”

“It’s nothing, Will,” Mike said quietly. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine.”

“Bullshit!” Will yelled, hurrying forward and grabbing Mike. Mike didn’t protest as Will led him to the wall and sat down with him. Mike stared in front of him, not daring look Will in the eyes. “What is going on, Mike? Did somebody say something to you?”

Mike shook his head.

_Don’t force me to tell you what’s wrong, Will. I beg you._

__

__

“Then what the hell is going on, Mike?” 

“Don’t worry about it, Will. I’ll be fine.”

“The hell you will! What is going on, Mike? You look like you’ve just had the worst experience of your life. I’ve never seen you like this. What is going on?”

_Oh god he’s not going to leave unless I tell him what’s going on. And he’s gonna know if I’m lying._

__

__

“Don’t make me say it, Will, please,” Mike begged. “I don’t want you to hate me.”

“What are you talking about, Mike?”

“Please, Will, I don’t want to say it. You’ll hate me and our relationship will be ruined forever.”

“How can you think that? I would never hate you, Mike. Ever! You know that! You’re my best friend and you can tell me anything!”

_I hear the truth in your words, but I know the second I tell you how I feel, you’ll abandon me. I can’t lose you, Will. I can’t. But I also can’t go on living like this._

__

__

Mike took several more deep breaths, trying to calm himself down and lower his heart rate as best as he could before he told Will the truth. 

“I can’t stand it, Will,” he said shortly.

“Stand what, Mike?”

“Seeing you with Brandon,” Mike replied. He paused for a moment as he saw Will look taken aback by this. “It’s not like you think, Will, I promise. It has nothing to do with Brandon as a person. I think he’s a great guy and friend and I’m so glad that he makes you happy. But every time I see the two of you together, I feel like I can’t breathe. 

“When I see you two together, my heart aches, Will. Even now, I can feel the pain in my chest and it won’t go away, no matter how hard I try. I kept telling myself that it was not about me, and that it was about you being happy. I thought that if you were happy, then I could be happy, Will. But I can’t.

“I’m fucking miserable and I want to try and fix it, but every time I do, I think about how happy you are with Brandon and I hate myself for even thinking about coming in between the two of you. That’s why I’ve kept my distance as much as I can, especially tonight. I knew that if I saw the two of you together, it would destroy me. And it did, Will.

“I thought I was going to die when I saw you two dancing to that song. That song has meant so much to me lately and I always associate it with you, Will.”

At this, Mike paused to let his breathing settle again. Will remained silent and just stared at him; all of the usual warmth in his eyes seemed to have vanished.

“I’m sorry, Will. I didn’t want to ruin this night for you, but I have. I know it’s selfish of me to admit this, but damn it, I love you, Will Byers. I love you with all of my heart. That’s just a physical law of the universe and it’s something that I accepted a long time ago, even if I knew you would never return those feelings.”

“Mike…” Will started, but Mike cut him off.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Mike said, standing up slowly. “I’ll leave right now. You deserve all the happiness in the world, Will Byers, and I’m not going to stand in the way of your happiness. I just had to tell you before I left. I’m sorry, Will. I’ll understand if you never wanna see me again and don’t want to be my friend. I’ll always love you, Will, no matter what.”

At that, Mike squeezed Will’s shoulder briefly before he turned and ran out of the bathroom, ignoring Will’s protests as his friend called his name. Mike hurried out of the building as quickly as he could, not caring that the limo he and his friends had arrived in would take him home. His mind was a blur as he ran through the streets.

_Fuck! I can’t believe I fucking told him the truth! He’s gonna hate me._

__

__

_Well, at least now someone knows the truth._

__

__

_Yeah, but at the cost of him never wanting to see me again._

__

__

_Maybe this is for the best._

__

__

_But it still fucking sucks._

__

__

Sooner than he expected, Mike was hurrying through his front door, slamming it behind him once he was inside.

“Hey Mike!” his mother said brightly. “Look who’s back for a visit!”

In spite of himself, Mike turned and looked into the living room, where he could see Nancy sitting with his mother having a cup of tea. His father and Holly were missing, probably upstairs asleep.

“Hey! How was prom?” Nancy asked with a smile on her face.

If she hadn’t asked that, maybe Mike would’ve been able to have a normal conversation with his sister, but being reminded of that…place sent Mike into another downward spiral. Tears welled in his eyes once again and threatened to fall down his face. He turned away from his mother and Nancy, shaking his head and ran toward the stairs.

“Michael!” Karen shouted, but Mike ignored her, scurrying up the stairs as fast as his legs would carry him. In seconds, he had reached his room, his last place of sanctuary. Trying to forget everything, Mike burst inside and slammed the door shut behind him. He tore the tie and vest off of his outfit, trying to forget any reminder of Will, and tossed them to the ground before he collapsed onto the bed.

Finally, the tears came again. But unlike in the bathroom, he wasn’t sobbing. He just let the tears fall down his face as he laid face first on his bed, covering his face even though nobody was in the room with him. 

About five minutes after he walked into his room, Mike heard soft knocking on his bedroom door.

“Mike?” came Nancy’s voice in a tone of deep caring.

Mike hesitated before responding. If anyone understood how he felt, it was surely Nancy. But he didn’t want to let himself be vulnerable to one more person on this night, no matter how badly he needed it.

“Just go away,” he whispered as more tears fell down his face.


	2. The Feeling Was Mutual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the last chapter, we saw Mike's thoughts in several pivotal scenes. Now, we see the same scenes, but from Will's perspective and thoughts about what happened. There are also a handful of additional scenes that tie in to the rest of the story.

Will had known since the day he met Mike all those years ago when they’re were in kindergarten.

 

He can remember their first meeting vividly and if he had to choose the best memory of his life, that would be the one. 

 

Five-year-old Will was swinging as high as he could, his heart content, but for the fact that he had nobody to swing with. None of the other kids in his class seemed to want to talk to them, but Will thought that was because a lot of them were already friends. If only he could have a friend like them, he knew he would be fully happy. 

 

Soon, Will started to get tired because of how much he had been swinging. He slowed down to catch his breath and that’s when he saw the other boy walking to him. This boy looked like he was Will’s age and he had curly hair that was darker than Will’s. Will smiled at the boy, who nervously smiled back at him.

 

“Hi,” said the boy, who sounded unsure of himself. “I’m Mike. Mike Wheeler.”

 

“Hello, Mike Wheeler,” said Will. “I’m Will Byers. It’s nice to meet you.”

 

“You too, Will,” said Mike, still hesitating slightly. After a few seconds, he finally seemed like he had gotten his courage back. “Um, do you want to be my friend, Will?”

 

Will was taken aback by this question. He had expected that he would have to be the one to ask someone to be his friend, but here was this boy, asking Will if he wanted to be  _ his  _ friend. Will smiled at Mike, feeling as if all of his dreams were coming true.

 

“Yes, Mike, I’ll be your friend,” said Will. “Do you want to swing with me?”

 

“Okay!” Mike said excitedly, hurriedly walking to the swing next to Will and sitting down in it.

 

As the two of them started swinging together, Will felt a sense of elation. He had never felt this happy before in his life. He had a friend and that was all that mattered to him.

 

_ I love you, Mike Wheeler. I always will. _

 

\--

 

When Will realized the others had left the basement and were walking around upstairs, he knew it was time to tell Mike the truth, at least the part of the truth that he hoped wouldn’t entirely change their friendship.

 

_ But what if he hates me? _

 

_ He’s not gonna hate me. It’s Mike. He’s my best friend and we tell each other everything. _

 

_ But he might judge me. _

 

_ Then that’s a risk I’m gonna have to take. I can’t stand not telling someone. _

 

“Hey, Mike?” Will said, feeling unsure of himself.

 

“Yeah, Will?”

 

_ Oh god now I have to tell him. Breathe, just breathe and everything will be all right. _

 

Will took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself down, but he could feel his body shaking. He was terrified, even though he knew Mike would understand. Mike looked at him with concern. 

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

_ Oh no, I’m just about to reveal the biggest secret of my life and you might hate me for it, but other than that, I feel absolutely fantastic. _

 

“Um…this is really hard for me to say, but I need to tell someone and you’re my best friend.”

 

_ But for how much longer? _

 

“Always and forever, Will, no matter what,” said Mike with a smile. “You know that, right?”

 

_ God I hope you mean that. If I can’t be friends with you, it’ll destroy me. _

 

Will chuckled slightly, hoping to lighten the mood. Instead, he felt more tension, but shrugged it off, knowing that he had to press forward. 

 

“Yeah, I know that,” Will heard himself say. “I’m just scared.”

 

_ Scared that you’ll leave me. Scared that you’ll abandon me. Scared that you’ll hate me. _

 

“Hey,” Mike said as he walked over to Will and put a hand on his shoulder.

 

_ Oh my god he’s touching me. Don’t panic, don’t panic! He’s just trying to be a good friend. _

 

_ He’s the best friend I’ll ever have. _

 

_ Which is why I will always love him. _

 

_ But he can’t know that. _

 

“You don’t ever have to worry about telling me anything, Will,” Mike said. “No matter what, I’m gonna have your back, I promise.”

 

_ I hope you truly mean that, Mike. I never want to lose you _ .

 

Will took a deep breath before he responded, knowing that the truth could make or break his friendship with Mike. But, hearing Mike’s assurances calmed him a little.

 

“I’m…I’m gay, Mike,” Will said.

 

_ Oh god. What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE? _

 

_ Look at Mike. Look at Mike. His facial expression hasn’t changed much. He just looks surprised. He doesn’t look angry or disgusted. Maybe this won’t be as bad as I thought. _

 

“Oh,” Mike said quietly, as all other words had failed him. 

 

_ Well that’s better than him blowing up, but I still have no idea how he feels about me. _

 

“Please don’t hate me,” Will begged as tears started to form in his eyes. He knew he couldn’t stop them and didn’t bother trying as he looked at Mike. “I’m still me, Mike. This is just part of who I am.”

 

_ It’s a part of me that I hope you won’t hate. _

 

“Of course you’re still you, Will,” Mike said. He gestured for Will to sit down on the couch. Will obeyed him silently, relief starting to spread through his body, though he still felt unsure. When he sat down on the couch, Will stared at the floor, frightened of looking Mike in the eyes until he knew more.

 

“And I could never hate you, Will. Never.”

 

Will looked up, all doubt vanishing from his body at once. The tears fell down his face, but he could feel relief coursing through his veins. Mike was looking at him happily, as if he knew he was releasing the tension Will had felt.

 

_ Thank god for you, Mike Wheeler. No wonder I love you. _

 

“Thank you,” Will muttered. 

 

“Come here,” Mike instructed, opening his arms. Will almost jumped into Mike’s embrace, the excitement building. If Mike was willing to hug Will still, that met that he was safe. Mike wrapped his arms around Will, and Will held onto Mike tightly, glad that his best friend wanted to protect him. 

 

“This is just who you are, Will, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. I’m proud of you for being honest with me and I’m happy for you, Will. And I promise you, this changes nothing. We’re still best friends and we’ll always be there for each other.”

 

_ Oh my god, could you be any more perfect? _

 

“Oh, Mike, I’m so lucky to have you,” Will whispered into Mike’s shoulder. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

 

_ I would suffer endlessly without you, Mike. _

 

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that, Will,” Mike said, giving Will a bit of a squeeze. “I promise you that I will make sure nobody hurts you for who you are. I will support you every step of the way. I know there are parts of this you’ll have to go through on your own, and I hate that, Will. But I will always be there for you, I promise you.”

 

_ What did I do to deserve a friend as perfect as you? I’m so grateful for you. Even if you’ll never love me back, I’ll always love you. I’ll always love you, Mike. _

 

\-- 

 

Even when Brandon entered his life, Will knew where his heart truly belonged, even if that would never be reciprocated. 

 

The boy who had admired Will’s latest painting in their art class approached Will as he was putting away his supplies. Will looked up when he sensed the other boy’s presence.

 

“Thanks again for what you said about my piece,” Will said, giving the boy a smile. “It’s Brandon, right?”

 

“That’s right,” said Brandon, also smiling at Will.  “I really admire all of your work, Will.”

 

“Well, I appreciate that.”

 

Will continued putting his supplies away as Brandon stood next to him, as if watching Will’s every move. Will felt unnerved, but ignored his feelings, focused instead on what he’d be working on when he got home in an hour once school was out for the day.

 

“Um, would it be too forward if I asked you to come and get a coffee with me?” asked Brandon, looking nervous. 

 

Will whipped around to face Brandon, who was blushing profusely. When their eyes locked, any confidence Brandon might have had vanished instantly.

 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have done that,” Brandon said, scrambling to walk away. “That was too much and it was weird, I’m sorry. I’ll just go.”

 

“Wait, Brandon,” Will said, grabbing Brandon’s arm to prevent him from going away. “Relax. You don’t have to be so nervous. I’d love to get a coffee with you.”

 

Brandon’s face lit up. “Really?” he asked, as if he were daring himself to believe it. 

 

“Really,” said Will, smiling at Brandon as he let go of his arm. “Anyone who likes my artwork is a friend of mine. So yes, I will join you for this coffee.”

 

_ What the hell am I doing? Going on a date?  _

 

\--

 

Will followed Brandon out of the coffee shop. He had spent much more time with Brandon, chatting over drinks, than he had anticipated. The sun was starting to set. The weather was beautiful out; the temperature was nice and warm and the wind was blowing ever so slightly, giving a feeling of calm. Will smiled at Brandon once they were outside.

 

“And just for the record, I don’t think I’ve gotten along with someone new so well in a long time,” Will said.

 

“Well, then, that makes two of us,” Brandon replied, smiling at Will as well. 

 

The two of them locked eyes and their smiles faded slightly. They stared at each other for several seconds, not moving and barely breathing. Finally, Brandon leaned forward and pulled Will closer to him and they locked lips. 

 

_ Holy shit what am I doing? _

 

But Will didn’t pull away. This felt right to him. Natural. He held onto Brandon as they kissed, not knowing if he was doing it right, but it all felt okay to him. After several moments, they pulled apart.

 

“I’m sorry,” Brandon said, looking slightly ashamed of himself. “I don’t usually moved that quickly, but it just felt right to me.”

 

_ What about Mike? _

 

_ What about him? _

 

_ I still love him. _

 

_ But he’ll never love me the way I do. _

 

_ Maybe this is all for the best. If Mike and I can’t be together, what’s stopping me from being together with Brandon? _

 

_ Nothing is stopping me. I still feel like I’m betraying Mike or something. _

 

_ How can it be a betrayal if he never loved me too? _

 

Will smiled at Brandon and lifted his chin so they could look each other in the eyes.

 

“It felt right to me, too,” Will assured him.

 

\--

 

 

“So, what’d you think?” Will asked Brandon playfully as they walked down Mike’s street toward Brandon’s car, holding hands. 

 

“Your friends seem pretty cool,” Brandon replied, smiling at Will. “Dustin’s a little rambunctious for my liking, but he seems pretty cool.”

 

“Yeah, Dustin can be a handful, but we love him anyway.”

 

“And what about Mike?”

 

Will froze.

 

_ What about Mike? Oh god, does he know how I feel about Mike? _

 

_ How could he? I’ve done a hell of a job hiding that fact since I was five. _

 

“What about him?” Will asked as they reached Brandon’s car and got into it. He sat in the passenger side while Brandon sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine.

 

“I don’t know, he seemed quiet, I guess. From how you described him, it sounds like he’s the leader of your little group of friends, and you did say he’s the Paladin in Dungeons ‘n Dragons, so I guess I’m just surprised he didn’t spend all night talking.”

 

“Oh, I think Mike was just nervous about meeting you,” Will said.

 

“Why would _he_ be nervous about meeting me?  _ I _ was nervous about meeting him, the way you talk about him all the time!”

 

_ I don’t talk about him that much, do I? _

 

_ Well, why shouldn’t I? He’s my best friend, after all. _

 

_ And he’s the love of my life. _

 

_ But Brandon doesn’t know that and he never will. _

 

“What do you mean, I talk about him all the time? What, I can’t talk about my best friend with you?”

 

“No, no,” Brandon said as he grabbed one of Will’s hands. “I’m just saying that you seem to think highly of him, but he didn’t act like I thought he would tonight. Maybe he doesn’t like me.”

 

“Why wouldn’t he like you, Brandon?” Will demanded.

 

“Because I’m his best friend’s boyfriend. It’s only natural for him to feel jealous.”

 

_ Why would Mike feel jealous about you? He’s too good for that. He’s always been a bigger person than that. _

 

“He’s not jealous of you. I’m sure he likes you a lot, Brandon. He just wants to give us space, that’s all. I’ve never been in a relationship. Besides, Mike has always supported me, and he supports our relationship.”

 

“It sure seems like you’ve talked with Mike a lot about us.”

 

_ Fuck. Did I just open that can of worms? _

 

“I’ve talked to him about  _ me _ ,” Will said insistently. “I’ve always trusted Mike with anything and everything. He’s my best friend and my confidant. He helps make me feel safe, Brandon, just like you do.”

 

“He sounds pretty amazing, Will,” Brandon said quietly.

 

_ He’s perfect, but I can’t let you know that. _

 

Will nodded. “And he likes you. If he didn’t, he would’ve pulled me to the side and let me know and, we would’ve left before everyone else. I know that for a fact, Brandon. I know Mike.”

 

“Maybe he has a little crush on you or something.”

 

_ What the fuck? _

 

Will was sure Brandon meant the comment as offhand or as a joke, but to Will, Brandon was being totally serious. 

 

“Mike? Have a crush on me? He’s straight!”

 

“If you say so, Will,” Brandon said. “But I saw the look in his eyes when you introduced us. It seems pretty clear that he has feelings for you.”

 

_ Mike? Have feelings for me? That would only happen in a perfect world. _

 

“He just cares about me because he’s my best friend. He loves me like a brother, Brandon, nothing more, I promise you.”

 

“And what about you?” Brandon asked.

 

_ Shit, shit, shit! _

 

“Actually, don’t answer that,” Brandon said shortly. “When you’re right, you’re right. He just cares a lot about you, that’s all. Maybe he was just nervous about meeting me.”

 

“Yes, that’s all,” Will said.

 

_ But you know that’s not true. _

 

_ \-- _

 

 

Will searched up and down the racks of ties and vests, searching for the perfect color for junior prom. He had insisted that Brandon not come with him, as he wanted it to be a surprise for the both of them, seeing what colors they had picked out. Instead, Will had asked Mike to accompany him to the mall, but didn’t tell Brandon.

 

_ Well why did I do that? _

 

_ Because Brandon would get upset. _

 

_ Why would Brandon get upset if I just went shopping with Mike? It’s not like we’re going on a date! He’s just helping me pick out a color for prom and then I’m gonna help him pick out a color for him.  _

 

_ If that’s true, then why didn’t I just tell Brandon that Mike was tagging along? _

 

_ Fuck it. There’s no reason he has to know. _

 

Finally, Will found the navy blue tie and vest. He knew it was perfect, but he wanted to gauge Mike’s opinion first, knowing that his best friend wouldn’t steer him wrong.

 

“What do you think about this one?” Will asked Mike, who looked deep in thought. Will had noticed that Mike seemed lost in his thoughts quite a bit recently, but he assumed Mike was just letting Will have his space. 

 

“Earth to Mike,” Will said, trying to get Mike’s attention. Mike seemed to snap out of a trance as he turned to face Will. 

 

“Sorry, what did you ask?” said Mike sheepishly.

 

Will rolled his eyes slightly, but grinned at Mike. “I asked what you thought of this color,” he said, holding up the navy blue tie and vest.

 

Mike considered him for a moment, looking as if he were getting lost in his thoughts again. Within seconds, though, he smiled at Will and nodded.

 

“I think that’s a great color,” he said.

 

_ Oh thank god you like it, Mike. _

 

_ But seriously, why do I want his approval? _

 

_ It’s just cause he’s my best friend. Yes, I still love him, but I’m with Brandon. Besides, Mike said he would always have my back and this is part of that.  _

 

“Really? You think so?” Will said hopefully, as if he were desperate for Mike’s approval.

 

Mike nodded again. “It’ll look great on you.”

 

Will smiled at him and hurriedly put his tie and vest into the cart with the rest of their outfits. He then resumed looking at the rack of ties and vests, trying to find a color for Mike.

 

“Will?” said Mike, sounding confused. “Aren’t we done?”

 

_ I’m not done spending time with you, Mike, and besides… _

 

“We still gotta find a color for you!”

 

Rather than respond, Mike appeared deep in thought again. Will turned around when Mike hadn’t spoken for a few seconds.

 

“Mike?”

 

“A color for me?” said Mike, ignoring the several seconds of silence. “Why does it matter what I wear? I’m not going with anyone and I don’t want to put in much effort into this.”

 

_ Why would you not want to put effort into our junior prom? _

 

_ Probably because he’s not going with anyone. _

 

_ But he’ll be with all of us on prom night! And it’s a special night for all of us, of course I’m gonna get the perfect color for Mike! _

 

“Oh come on, Mike, it’s our junior prom, of course we’re gonna put some effort into this!”

 

“Will…” Mike started, but Will knew Mike was going to try to talk him out of it, and decided to stop him.

 

“No. We’re gonna do something special for you and that’s the last I’ll hear of it!”

 

“I’m serious, Will,” Mike said in a low voice. “We don’t have to do anything special for me.”

 

_ Of course we do, Mike. You are special! _

 

“I can just wear any old suit. It’s not like I’m going to be dancing or anything.”

 

_ Oh yes you will be dancing, Mike. We may not get to dance alone, but we’re still gonna dance together. I want this night to be special and it won’t be if you’re not there with me. I couldn’t go without you. _

 

_ God damn, Brandon would be pissed if he knew what was going on right now. _

 

“Oh nonsense,” said Will, waving his hand impatiently. “This is our junior prom and you’re my best friend. This is a special night and I want you to look your best, even if you’re going alone! We have to at least make sure you have something nice to wear for all the pictures Jonathan is gonna take!”

 

Mike sighed deeply, as if he knew Will wasn’t gonna let him win this argument. Will smiled to himself as Mike nodded.

 

“All right, fine,” Mike said.

 

Will suddenly found the perfect color. He pulled it off the rack and showed it to Mike.

 

_ You would look amazing in this color _ .

 

“If you say so,” Mike said, sounding unsure. 

 

_ Hell yes, I say so because I know how amazing this color will look on you. Even if I can’t be with you, I’m gonna make sure that you still look good. _

 

_ I really shouldn’t be doing this. _

 

_ But Mike deserves to be included with us. It wouldn’t be right if he wasn’t. _

 

_ What about Brandon? _

 

_ I’m gonna be with him all night. And I’ll make sure that he has a wonderful time. I’ll make up for all of this excitement. I know Mike doesn’t love me, but doesn’t he deserve to be with us? I wouldn’t have it any other way. _

 

Finally, Mike agreed to the forest green tie and vest and Will tossed them into the cart. He led Mike over to the registers, where only one was open and had several people waiting in front of it. Will glanced around for another open register, but didn’t find any, so he leaned against the cart. Soon, he turned to Mike.

 

_ He’s not in love with me, is he? _

 

_ I guess there is one way of finding out. _

 

“When are we gonna get you a girlfriend?” Will asked, trying to sound casual. 

 

Mike thought about it for a few seconds before responding. “Uh… probably never,” he said.

 

_ What? Why the fuck wouldn’t you ever get a girlfriend? Does this mean…? _

 

“What are you talking about?” Will said, his tone sounding worried even though he was trying to be neutral. 

 

“Just that I’m probably never going to have a girlfriend.”

 

_ Are you trying to tell me you’re gay, Mike? _

 

“Well, why on earth would you think that, Mike? You and El were pretty good together. I know that it was more of a middle school fling that anything else, but you were still good in that relationship.”

 

Mike smiled sadly. Will wanted nothing more than to hug Mike in this moment, but stopped himself, feeling as if that wouldn’t be appropriate.

 

“I just don’t believe in love, at least not for me.”

 

Will’s eyes widened in shock at this. Now the urge to hug Mike and reassure him was threatening to take over him, but still he refrained. 

 

“I believe in love for other people, but not for me,” Mike said.

 

_ Oh Mike. _

 

“How could you say that, Mike?”

 

Mike sighed. “I guess because I’ve never felt deserving of love. Even when El and I were together, I never felt like I deserved her. I think that’s part of the reason it never worked out, even though we’re still friends. I’ve never felt like I deserve to be loved, even if I do feel that way about someone.”

 

_ Mike, my dear Mike. How can you think that way of yourself? You deserve everything. Even if we can’t be together, you still deserve happiness. _

 

“Oh, Mike,” Will said, reaching over and placing his hand gently on Mike’s, the most affection he would allow himself to show openly. “Of course you deserve to be loved.”

 

_ You already are _ . 

 

“You’re wonderful, Mike. You’re kind, you’re funny, you’re smart, you’re always looking out for everyone else. Anybody would be lucky to love you, Mike.”

 

_ I consider myself lucky to love you, even if you won’t love me back. Just having you in my life is enough. _

 

Mike shook his head slowly.

 

“Saying that doesn’t make it true, Will.”

 

_ Damn it, man, why do you think so lowly about yourself? Can’t you see how perfect you are? _

 

“Mike, one day you’ll see that you deserve someone who loves you.” 

 

_ The same way that I do. _

 

“I know that in my heart. You’ll find someone who will love you and you’ll be happy when you open your heart to someone.”

 

The two best friends, as close as brothers, simply stared at each other’s eyes. Will could tell his words were having an effect on Mike, but couldn’t be sure what it was. After what seemed an eternity, Mike finally spoke.

 

“If you say so, Will.”

 

_ I do, Mike. Even if we’re never together like me and Brandon, you deserve to be happy. _

 

_ \-- _

 

 

Will hadn’t felt so close to Brandon as he did on prom night. Being able to hold him close and dance together made Will fully appreciate Brandon for who he was. Will was silently kicking himself for continuing to think about Mike, but he knew that his heart would never stop loving Mike, no matter who he dated, so he accepted it as a rough truth. 

 

It was after they had danced to that beautiful love song with the piano and the woman with the incredible voice that Will started to learn the truth. He was walking with Brandon back to the table where everyone else had already started to gather after the song when Mike suddenly appeared in front of them.

 

“Hi Mike!” Will said.

 

Mike’s eyes darted around. He looked flustered all of a sudden. He glanced down at Mike and Brandon holding hands and that seemed to affect him most of all. The blank expression on Mike’s face scared Will, whose smile faded.

 

“Are you okay, Mike?” he demanded.

 

Mike seemed to snap out of a trance at these words. Finally, he spoke.

 

“I’m okay,” he said shortly, his eyes still darting around. “Bathroom.”

 

Mike hurried away, as if desperate to get as far away from them as possible. Will called after Mike a few times before giving up.

 

“Wonder what’s going on with him,” Brandon observed. “He didn’t look good.”

 

“Maybe he tried to ask someone to dance with him and got rejected,” Will replied absentmindedly as they walked back over to the table.

 

“Hey guys, that was a great song, wasn’t it?” Dustin asked as they sat down.

 

“Yeah, it was!” Brandon said happily. “I don’t know if I’ve heard a more beautiful song.”

 

“Did you guys talk to Mike?” Will asked, ignoring the rest of the conversation. 

 

“Nope,” said Lucas while Max shook her head too.

 

“He said he needed to go to the bathroom. Probably had too much punch,” Dustin said, amused.

 

“He did look a little upset about something,” El said. “But he didn’t say anything and just walked away.”

 

Will nodded.

 

“I’m gonna go check on him, make sure he’s okay.”

 

“Will…” Brandon started.

 

“I’ll be back in a minute, I promise,” Will said. 

 

Will gave Brandon a quick kiss on the cheek and took off his tux jacket before he stood up and pushed his way through the crowd. Finally, he reached the doors that led outside of the dance floor. He hurried down the hall and toward the bathroom. Before he opened the door, Will could hear someone sobbing inside. It sounded like Mike.

 

_ What the hell is going on? _

 

Will opened the door and walked inside. Mike was leaning over the sink, crying almost uncontrollably. Mike didn’t react when Will opened the door, and Will knew that Mike couldn't hear him. After several moments, Mike finally stopped crying and that’s when Will spoke.

 

“Mike?” he said uncertainly. 

 

Mike seemed to stiffen. Will heard him take several breaths before he turned around. Will’s eyes widened when he saw Mike’s face. Aside from crying, it looked like Mike was having trouble standing; his legs were shaking and he looked a mess with his red eyes and the tears falling down his face.

 

“Mike!” Will exclaimed. “What is it? Are you okay?”

 

“It’s nothing, Will.”

 

_ How the fuck can it be nothing when you look like that? _

 

“Don’t worry about me, I’ll be fine.”

 

“Bullshit!” Will yelled, running forward and grabbing onto Mike. He guided Mike to the floor and sat down next to him. Mike didn’t look him in the eyes and stared at the floor instead.

 

_ He’s in pain. But it’s not physical, it’s emotional. _

 

“What is going on, Mike? Did somebody say something to you?”

 

Mike shook his head, still not saying anything.

 

_ Please, Mike, say something. I need to know what’s hurting you. _

 

“Then what the hell is going on, Mike?”

 

“Don’t worry about it, Will, I’ll be fine.”

 

_ How can you ask me not to worry about it? I’m your best friend! _

 

“The hell you will! What is going  _ on _ , Mike? You look like you’ve just had the worst experience of your life. I’ve never seen you like this. What is going on?”

 

_ Please, Mike, you’re scaring me. _

 

“Don’t make me say it, Will, please,” Mike begged him.

 

_ Say what? What are you talking about? _

 

“I don’t want you to hate me.”

 

_ What? _

 

“What are you talking about, Mike?”

 

“Please, Will, I don’t want to say it. You’ll hate me and our relationship will be ruined forever.”

 

_ What the hell are you talking about? Hate you? That’s impossible! _

 

“How can you think that? I would never hate you, Mike! Ever! You know that! You’re my best friend and you can tell me anything!”

 

_ I’ve told you all of my secrets, so why are you keeping this one from me? _

 

_ Except, I haven’t told him all of my secrets. There’s still one.  _

 

“I can’t stand it, Will.”

 

“Stand what, Mike?”

 

“Seeing you with Brandon.”

 

At this, Will froze, all of his thoughts starting to run together now as he listened to Mike. Mike told Will how he couldn’t stand seeing him and Brandon together, but that it had nothing to do with Brandon. Mike assured Will that he did think highly of Brandon, but it was destroying Mike to see them together and that no matter what he did, Mike couldn’t fix it. 

 

“I thought I was going to die when I saw you two dancing to that song,” Mike confessed. “That song has meant so much to me lately and I always associate it with you, Will.”

 

_ But why would you associate this song with me? Unless…no, you don’t feel that way about me. Or do you? _

 

“I’m sorry, Will,” Mike said. “I didn’t want to ruin this night for you, but I have. I know it’s selfish of me to admit this, but damn it, I love you, Will Byers.”

 

_ Oh my god. He does feel the same way. _

 

“I love you with all of my heart. That’s just a physical law of the universe and it’s something that I accepted a long time ago, even if I knew you would never return those feelings.”

 

_ But I do, Mike. I do feel the same way! _

 

But the words wouldn’t come out of Will’s mouth, no matter how hard he tried. Instead, he just said Mike’s name, but Mike cut him off.

 

“You don’t have to say anything,” Mike said as he stood up slowly. Will stood up with him, his eyes never leaving Mike’s. “I’ll leave right now. You deserve all the happiness in the world, Will Byers, and I’m not going to stand in the way of your happiness.”

 

_ But you bring me happiness! _

 

“I just had to tell you before I left. I’m sorry, Will. I’ll understand if you never wanna see me again and don’t want to be my friend. I’ll always love you, Will, no matter what.”

 

Mike gave Will a squeeze on the shoulder before he turned and ran away.

 

_ No, Mike! Don’t leave! _

 

“Mike!” Will shouted, but Mike didn’t turn around. “Wait, Mike! Please!” 

 

It was to no avail. Will tried to follow Mike out of the bathroom, but didn’t see which way Mike had turned to run out of the building. He searched around fruitlessly for several moments before he gave up.

 

_ Fuck! How could I be so blind? He loves me just like I love him. I need to go after him. _

 

_ But first, Brandon and I have to talk. _

 

Will hurried back to the dance floor, where Brandon was still sitting with the rest of the party.

 

“Hey Will, where’s Mike?” Max asked.

 

“Uh, he left,” Will replied, distracted. He grabbed Brandon’s hand. “Can we talk, privately?”

 

“Of course,” Brandon replied, standing up. He grabbed Will’s jacket for him and followed Will out of the dance floor and into the hallway, where they could talk privately. 

 

Wordlessly, Will took his jacket from Brandon and put it on. Will signed deeply as he grabbed Brandon’s hand.

 

“Brandon, I…”

 

“Stop,” Brandon commanded. Will shut his mouth. “You’ve been using me, Will.”

 

_ Oh shit. He knows. _

 

“What?” Will asked, trying to sound nonchalant. 

 

“Don’t worry, I’m not mad about it or anything.”

 

Will remained silent as he stared back at Brandon, who had an unreadable expression on his face.

 

“You’ve been using me, Will,” he repeated. “Don’t deny it or I will get mad. Just listen. I know. I know that you love Mike.”

 

“Brandon…”

 

“Please just listen,” Brandon insisted. Will nodded. “I’ve known for a long time, I think. Probably ever since the day we met. You talked about Mike so much and your face lit up every time you did, I just knew that you had feelings from him, even if you didn’t know. But a small part of me hoped that it wasn’t true, but I saw Mike’s face when he saw us holding hands and I knew that he loved you, too. When I saw you hurry off after him, I knew.”

 

“Oh, Brandon, I’m so sorry,” Will said.

 

“You don’t have to be,” Brandon replied, giving Will a smile. “I promise you, I’m okay. Really,” he added as Will opened his mouth to protest. “I knew that you and I weren’t going to last forever, and I’m glad we got to spend so much time together, but I know that your heart belongs to Mike.”

 

“Apparently mine belongs to him, too,” Will said.

 

Brandon grinned. “He tell you that when you talked to him?” Will nodded. “Well it’s about time he was honest with you about how he felt.”

 

“But now he thinks that I hate him and want nothing to do with him.”

 

“Then you’ve got to make sure he knows that you love him, too,” Brandon said, giving Will a slight push. “Go and tell him, Will, sooner rather than later. Trust me, you both deserve it.”

 

“What about you, though?”

 

“Me? I’ll find someone eventually, of that, I’m sure.”

 

Will pulled Brandon into a hug.

 

“I did care about you, you know?” Will said, trying his best to sound sincere.

 

“I know you did, Will,” Brandon replied. “And I’m glad you said that, but you don’t have to worry about me. Just go and be with Mike. You two belong together.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what'd you think? As it turns out, Will felt the same way about Mike as Mike felt about him! 
> 
> There is at least one more chapter to come where our boys will come face-to-face again after the events of prom night. Stay tuned for that chapter, coming soon!
> 
> Let me know what you thought in the comments!
> 
> And feel free to follow me on Tumblr: @wackywriterwhowriteswhenever


	3. You're Enough

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, you now know that Mike and Will both felt love for one another. Here's what happens after Mike left Will with Brandon at prom, and Brandon told Will to tell Mike the truth. Enjoy!

Mike seemed to stir into consciousness. He wasn't even sure if he had actually fallen asleep; it seemed like he drifted in and out of consciousness all night long, crying all of the tears in his eyes out as he thought about the consequences of his confession.

_God, Will probably hates me. Fuck! Why did I have to tell him?_

_Because I had to be honest with him._

Mike shook his head and sat up in bed. He glanced over at his nightstand, where his phone had landed when he tossed it aside before collapsing onto his bed. He turned it on and was met with a few surprises. He had several missed calls from his friends, with four coming from Will's phone alone. There were also texts from all of his friends. He opened his phone and read them.

From Lucas: _Hey man, are you okay? Will said you seemed upset. Call or text me when you can, please!_

From Dustin: _Mike, you okay? You didn't seem like yourself last night. Give me a call if you're feeling better. We can go for a walk and talk about it._

From Max: _Mike, please call someone. We're all here for you, no matter what kind of pain you're going through._

From El: _What's going on, Mike? Are you okay? You seem like you're hurt. Please, Mike, I just want to make sure you're okay._

From Will: _Mike, please, please call me back. Please, I need to talk to you. Don't worry, I'm not mad or anything, I promise. I just really need to talk to you. I'm worried about you. Please call me._

Mike sighed to himself as he finished reading these texts. He hesitated before he pressed the button to listen to his voicemails.

_"Mike, it's Will. Please pick up if you're there. I need to talk to you. I think you know why. Just know that I'm not mad about anything, I promise, but we really need to talk. Please call me or text me."_

Mike shook his head and turned off the voicemail, not wanting to listen to any more of Will's messages. He sighed to himself before he stood up, wanting to get out of his house all of a sudden. He didn't bother changing clothes, but grabbed his keys and hurried downstairs. None of the rest of his family was up yet; he was silently grateful for that, no wanting to face any of them, particularly his mother or Nancy after he had let them see him fall apart. Mike hurried out of the house and fired up the engine in his truck and started driving.

\--

Will woke with a start. He sat up in bed and reached over for his phone, desperate for an update on Mike. He glanced at his texts, but only saw messages from El and Dustin, nothing from Mike. And he had no missed calls. Frowning, Will opened his phone and read the texts.

From Dustin: _He's not answering his text and nobody else has heard from him. I'm starting to get worried. Let me know if you find something out._

From El: _I haven't heard from him. I'm getting worried. It's not like him to ignore all of us at the same time. Please find him and tell him it's gonna be okay._

Will sighed deeply. Nobody else had heard from Mike, either. He picked up his phone and punched in Mike's number. He held his breath.

_"Hey, it's Mike, leave a message."_

Hearing Mike's voice in the robotic tone of his phone made Will's heart ache. He knew that Mike had seen him try to call, but he had ignored it. Will started to cry, wondering if it was too late.

_I've got to find him. But who knows where he is?_

_Oh my god, I should've done this first._

Will punched in a second number, desperate for some sort of answer. On the second ring, the person on the other line answered.

"Hello?"

"Nancy, thank god," said Will, breathing out a sigh of relief. "Have you seen Mike?"

"I saw him last night right after he came home from prom. He seemed upset about something, did something happen?"

"Kinda. It's a long story. Look, is he home still?"

"No, he was gone when I got up. But he left a note on the kitchen table saying he was going down by the lake for a little bit. He said he needed to clear his mind."

_The lake. Perfect. That means Mike would be alone._

"Okay, Nancy, I'm gonna go there and find him. I'll talk to him and see if I can figure out what's going on. I'll call or text you when I find him, okay?"

\--

Mike parked his truck on the edge of the water. He stepped out and walked around, letting down the tailgate and hoisting himself up onto the bed of the truck. He pulled out his phone and set it down next to him before he pulled out his most prized possession.

The picture of him and Will was from Halloween the year they had gone at Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. Will was holding a blue lightsaber while Mike had a Han Solo lookalike blaster. They had their arms wrapped around each other and were smiling widely in the photo.

Tears started to form as Mike stared at the picture, remembering all of the happy times.

_I wish things could go back to being this simple._

Mike picked up his phone again and searched around his music library for the perfect song. Finally, he found it and pressed play.

The song opened with a loud synthesizer accompanied by a piano before the lyrics began.

_I will wander til the end of time, torn away from you._

_I pulled away to face the pain._   
_I closed my eyes and drift away, over the fear_   
_That I will never find a way to heal my soul_   
_And I will wander til the end of time_   
_Torn away from you._

_My heart is broken_   
_Sweet sleep, my dark angel_   
_Deliver us from sorrow's hold_

_Over my heart._

_I can't go on living this way_   
_But I can't go back the way I came_   
_Chained to this fear that I will never find a way to heal my soul_   
_And I will wander til the end of time_   
_Half alive without you_

_My heart is broken_   
_Sweet sleep, my dark angel_   
_Deliver us_

_Change._   
_Open your eyes to the light._   
_I denied it all so long_   
_Oh, so long_   
_So goodbye_   
_Goodbye!_

_My heart is broken_   
_Release me, I can't hold on_   
_Deliver us_

_My heart is broken_   
_Sweet sleep, my dark angel_   
_Deliver us_

_My heart is broken_   
_Sweet sleep, my dark angel_   
_Deliver us from sorrow's hold_

As the song faded into nothingness, Mike closed his eyes, clutching the picture of him and Will close to his heart.

_My heart is broken. Sweet sleep my dark angel._

"Is that the same singer who sang that song last night?"

Mike's eyes shot open quickly. He looked around and saw Will walking toward him, still dressed in his prom outfit, though like Mike, he had gotten rid of the tie and vest.

"Will! What are you doing here?"

"What do you think?" Will said. "I'm here for you, Mike. I've been worried sick about you."

_Why would you be worried about me? You have every right to hate me and not even have to think about me._

"I'm fine, Will."

"Don't lie to me, Mike. Please. I saw how bad you were last night and I know you're not doing okay now. Nancy told me what happened when you came home last night."

_How could she tell you that? Fuck!_

"Would you mind if I sat down with you?" Will asked gently.

Mike shook his head. Will walked over to the truck and hopped up. He sat down next to Mike and looked at his friend, who was looking anywhere but at him.

"Mike, look at me, please," Will said quietly.

"Why?" asked Mike.

"Because I want you to look at me when I tell you what I'm about to. Please, Mike, just look at me."

Finally, Mike lifted his eyes and looked at Will.

_God, you're still so beautiful, even with half your outfit missing._

"First of all, Mike, I want you to know that I'm not mad about anything that you told me last night. If that's what you were afraid of, you don't have to worry about that."

Mike took several deep breaths before responding.

"Well, I'm glad you're not mad, but I couldn't face you after what I confessed to you," he said in a hollow voice.

"I get it," said Will, nodding. "It took a lot of courage for you to tell me what you did, Mike. I'm sure it wasn't easy for you and it took a lot of energy. But I'm really glad you told me how you feel, Mike."

"You are?" asked Mike, hardly daring to believe it.

"I am. You were being completely honest with me, and that's what I think I'm most glad about: that you felt safe enough to tell me the truth about how you feel, Mike. And if I'm being honest, it gave me the strength to do the same."

"What are you talking about, Will?"

It was Will's turn to take several deep breaths. He scooted closer to Mike and took one of Mike's hands into his own.

"I feel the same way about you, Mike," Will said in a voice barely louder than a whisper. "I love you with all of my heart, Mike. Just like you said, my love for you is just a physical law of the universe and it's something I accepted a long time ago, even if I thought you wouldn't love me back. As it turns out, we were both wrong about that."

Mike simply stared at Will in silence for several seconds before he responded.

"You love me? I don't believe it!"

"Why not, Mike?" Will asked as he stroked Mike's hand lightly.

"Remember when I told you how I don't feel like I am deserving of love? I still feel that way."

"Oh, Mike, my dear Mike, you are worthy of love," said Will pulling Mike into a hug. "You are enough, Mike. You deserve love and you deserve happiness."

"I don't feel like I do. I don't know how you could love me, Will. I'm nothing special!"

"You're special to me, Mike. I love you because you're you, not because you're some person who exceeds my expectations or something like that. I've loved you from the moment we met on the swings in kindergarten."

Mike broke apart from the hug, but Will kept his arms wrapped around him. He looked up at Will with tears in his eyes and saw Will had tears of his own.

"You've loved me that long?"

Will nodded. "Ever since you asked me to be your friend, I have loved you, Mike Wheeler. You made my whole world better that day and I've never stopped loving you."

"What have I done to deserve your love?" Mike asked.

"You didn't do anything other than be my friend," said Will. "Ever since we've known each other, you've made me feel safe in a way that nobody else can. You've been there for me at times when nobody else was, Mike. That's why I came out to you first. I knew that if I could tell you the truth and be okay, then I as going to be safe with everyone else."

"Oh, Will," said Mike, more tears welling up in his eyes. "I can't believe I'm actually hearing this right now."

"You are, Mike, you are," Will assured him, smiling as he wiped away some of his own tears. "I love you, Mike Wheeler. I love you."

"I love you too, Will Byers!"

"Now shut up and kiss me!" Will exclaimed.

Mike nearly gulped in excitement when Will told him this. Wordlessly, he obeyed and leaned forward at the same time as Will. When their lips met, it was like two worlds had collided into one.  They held on to one another, each feeling like they couldn't feel enough of the other. Finally, they broke apart and stared at each other with love in their eyes.

"Oh my god," said Mike.

"What is it?" Will asked, sounding nervous.

"I just kissed Will fucking Byers."

"Not my middle name, but I appreciate the sentiment," said Will with a laugh.

"What about Brandon?" Mike asked in a small voice.

"He knows," Will said, nodding. "He and I talked after you left and he told me that he already knew. Something was able to tell him that we loved each other and he was able to accept that. He's a good guy and he told me that he's gonna be okay."

"Thank god. I didn't ever want to come between you two, and that's why I left last night, so I wouldn't get in the way."

"Well, now you don't have to worry about it. Now you get to love me with all of your heart and get the same love in return. And as you said, you get to kiss Will fucking Byers. I gotta say that name is growing on me."

Mike laughed as he pulled Will in for another kiss. This one felt fuller, if that were possible, than the first one. It was as if their souls were connecting for the first time and it felt like it was always meant to be. They held each other close as they explored one another. Finally, they broke apart again.

"My Mom and Jonathan are going to be out tonight," said Will. "How about you come over and spend the night?"

"I'd love that," Mike whispered.

\--

Mike and Will laid together on Will's bed, cuddled up against one another. On Will's TV, The Mask of Zorro was ending and Zorro appeared on the screen. The masked crusader drew his sword and slashed a giant Z in the air with fire before the credits rolled. As the two boys held on to one another, they heard the film's love song.

_Moon so bright night so fine_   
_Keep your heart here with mine_   
_Life's a dream we are dreaming_

_Race the moon, catch the wind_   
_Ride the night to the end_   
_Seize the day, stand up for the light_

_I want to spend my lifetime loving you_   
_If that is all in life I ever do_

_Heroes rise, heroes fall_   
_Rise again, win it all_

_In your heart, can't you feel the glory_   
_Through our joy, through our pain_   
_We can move worlds again_

_Take my hand, dance with me_

_I want to spend my lifetime loving you_   
_If that is all in life I ever do_   
_I will want nothing else to see me through_   
_If I can spend my lifetime loving you_

_Though we know we will never come again_   
_Where there is love, life begins_   
_Over and over again_

_Save the night, save the day_   
_Save the love, come what may_   
_Love is worth everything we pay_

_I want to spend my lifetime loving you_   
_If that is all in life I ever do_

_I want to spend my lifetime loving you_   
_If that is all in life I ever do_

_I will want nothing else to see me through_   
_If I can spend my lifetime loving you_

The song ended and the credits continued to roll.

"Hey, Will?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to spend my lifetime loving you."

Will chuckled quietly.

"If that is all in life you ever do?" he asked.

"Hell fucking yes," said Mike, leaning up and kissing Will again.

_I can't believe I'm kissing Will Byers again. Will fucking Byers!_

"I don't know what I did to deserve your love, Will, but I'm so fucking lucky. I still can't believe I get to call you the love my life."

"You didn't have to do anything, Mikey." Mike smiled at the old nickname. "All you had to do is be you, nothing more. You are perfect in my eyes and you are my whole world."

"And you, mine. And I promise you this: I will never stop loving you, Will. Loving you is just something that is required in this lifetime and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"I'll always love you, too, Mikey."

Will laid down as he pulled Mike closer to him. Mike wrapped his arms around Will and nuzzled his face into Will's chest. Will gave Mike a kiss on the head before he reached over and turned off the lamp on his nightstand.

"You know something?" said Mike quietly.

"What's that?" said Will.

"I wish we could stay like this forever. Just us, together."

Will smiled as he gave Mike a kiss on the cheek.

"I know, my love. So do I. But, we're gonna have many more times like this together. It may not ever feel like enough, but we'll always have each other."

Mike nodded as he pulled himself closer into Will's embrace, if that were possible.

"This is the best part," said Mike.

"About today?" asked Will.

"About everything. You. Me. Us. Being together at last. I never thought it would happen. Hell, I never thought it could happen."

"But it did."

"And I'm forever grateful."

"Me too."

"By the way, you didn't answer my question earlier."

"About what?" said Mike.

"That song you were listening to. Was that the same singer from the song at prom?"

"Yeah, that was her. The first one was a song she wrote about someone she loved and she married. The second one was a rock song from their third album. I thought it fit the mood. Though now it's more appropriate for me to play Lost in Paradise."

"You'll have to play it for me sometime."

"I will."

Mike gave Will one last squeeze with a hug before he finally closed his eyes. His breathing slowed as he relaxed, but his heart felt full for the first time in a long time. He was just starting to drift off to sleep when Will spoke again, but he didn't mind.

"Hey Mike?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you, always and forever," Will said as he gave Mike one last kiss on the forehead.

Mike lifted his head slightly and kissed Will on the cheek.

"I love you, too, Will. Always and forever." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How do you like them apples? ;)
> 
> These two idiots are finally together and they are madly in love, just as i knew they would be when I first started writing this story. 
> 
> Credit goes to Evanescence for the lyrics to Good Enough and My Heart is Broken. Credit for I Will Spend My Lifetime Loving You goes to Marc Anthony and Tina Arena on vocals and to James Horner and Will Jennings for writing that gem.
> 
> As far as this story, I have ideas for at least one additional chapter, maybe two. I'd like to give Brandon some closure from what happened between him and Will, and I'd like for Will and Mike to be able to dance together to Good Enough, so I'll see what I come up. For now, enjoy this!


End file.
